Colleges lobby Lege for more funding

Texas’ universities requested additional state funding for the 2014-15 biennium. House and Senate appropriations bills show increases over the current biennium for some schools, but they fall short of university requests.

More Information

San Antonio's public university presidents joined other state higher education leaders Monday to ask lawmakers for more funding.

The Legislature cut about $1 billion in higher education funding from the state's two-year budget at its last session. Appropriations bills filed in both the House and the Senate, marking the start of the budgeting process, would make more cuts — though smaller — in the 2014-15 biennium.

“Our No. 1 request would be restoration, if possible, of the formula funding,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp told the Senate Finance Committee in Austin, referring to the basic state outlay for higher education, which takes tuition, enrollment and other factors into account.

University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa agreed, saying formula funding “enables us to meet the ever-growing needs of Texas, and general revenue for enrollment growth is critical for access and affordability.”

The Senate bill would cut $236 million in general revenue funds from the current budget's two-year allocation of $12.5 billion for higher education, according to Legislative Budget Board, or LBB, documents. The House bill would go further, trimming $372.6 million.

Sharp said he worries about retaining top faculty as the economy picks up in other areas of the country and out-of-state universities increase recruiting efforts.

“A danger point, I think, is coming.” Sharp said.A&M-San Antonio has asked the House for more than double its current two-year allocation of $29.3 million. The university requested $68.7 million for the 2014-15 biennium, according to LBB budget estimates.

But the Senate and House bills contain increases of only about $3.5 million and $3.3 million beyond current funding, respectively.

A&M-San Antonio President Maria Hernandez Ferrier thanked the senators, saying, “Given our 16 percent growth and the funds that are coming in, it's really helpful for the current students because that $3.5 million makes up some ... we lost.”

But Ferrier added that she expects her university to “continue growing at a tremendous rate” and said 40 percent of A&M-San Antonio's budget comes from state appropriations.

UTSA requested a $34.1 million increase over the current biennium allocation of $178.5 million, but the House bill would provide $3.4 million more and the Senate bill $5.1 million more.

Discussing the appropriations' impact on tuition and fees, UTSA President Ricardo Romo said, “The one worry I have is fees. We're now having to negotiate and work a little bit on fees for things that the students need, including advising fees and including fees for counseling.”